


team work (makes the dream work)

by watanukitty



Category: Maleficent (2014), Maleficent (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gen, Pacific Rim AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-12-24 16:54:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21102812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watanukitty/pseuds/watanukitty
Summary: They were supposed to be a team.





	team work (makes the dream work)

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on tumblr and written for the prompt "hurt". Also this is a Pacific Rim AU that no one asked for in 2014.

The Icarus sped back to the loading bay and skidded to halt, covering the area with a cloud of smoke and dust from its sputtering engines, alerting a slew of mechanics and technicians to its aid in the process. Sparks flew from what remains of its left arm, and it lost a good portion of its right wing, chewed on by a serpentine category IV.

The winged Jaeger’s pilots don’t look much better. Mallory Moore jumped off the dented head of the robot with a slight limp, followed a very ruffled, very angry Diaval Sable.

“What was that?!” he yelled, stopping himself at the very last moment from hurling his helmet at his co-pilot in frustration. Even in his fury he knew that such action would make him suffer in the long run.

“Preventive measures,” she answered, lips in a thin line, not even bothering to turn her head to look at her partner.

“We were supposed to be a team, Mallory!” he shouted, increasing his pace to overtake her and block her path. She glared at him, her breaths labored, and tried find her way around him. Diaval continued blocking her in every direction, determined to get his point across.

“I know you’ve been piloting alone for so long and I know that I’m just a rookie but you—you can’t just do that!” She had caught him off guard. He didn’t think it was possible to keep things from someone who’s inside your head, but apparently it is. He now knew why they dubbed her ‘Maleficent’. He wondered how many more tricks this woman held under her sleeves, hoping that none of them would be at his expense.

“You hesitated, and I had to make a move, or else it would have gotten away,” she explained nonchalantly, and if anything, her tone agitated Diaval even further.

“Fine, I did, but that doesn’t make it okay to just go right in there and push into that thing without me knowing—and Christ. How did you even do that? We’re drifting for god’s sake!”

“Look,” Mallory started, but didn’t get to finish when she gasped and suddenly doubled over, grasping at her side. Alarmed, Diaval rushed over and supported her, immediately spotting the blood that’s starting to stain her hand.

His mind switched to panic mode, his hand covering hers to apply more pressure on the wound. She must have gotten hit when the Kaiju coiled around them and tried breaking into the hull, he thought, and reflexively caught her just as her knees gave way. He was yelling for help when realization hit him like a punching bag—she wasn’t showing off, she was trying to protect him by shielding him out of the direct impact of the Kaiju.

Diaval froze momentarily before his mind went into overdrive. He put his hands behind her knees and heaved her close to his chest, carrying her bridal style towards the med bay. One of her arms wound weakly around his neck and her head slumped against his shoulder, and he berated himself over and over for not holding his temper back.

“Hold on,” he whispered as he ran, holding her close. “You’ll be okay, hold on…”

***

Mallory woke up to the beeping of the heart monitor, her vision going out of focus before landing on the dark-haired figure sleeping with his head on his arms on the side of her bed. He was grumbling in his sleep, and she couldn’t help but smile if just a little.

“Diaval,” she called out, shaking him lightly with her only movable arm. The other was covered in needles and wires, and her shoulders and back was sore as hell. The wound on her side, thankfully, was numb.

Her co-pilot jolted up and looked around, wiping his face with one hand and then proceeded to run his hands through his hair, mussing it up further. His dark eyes traveled down her form and he gave out a relieved sigh.

“You’re awake,” he said, his gaze locking into hers.

“No shit, Sherlock,” she retorted, and almost rolled her eyes. Instead she held his stare just a moment longer.

He chuckled, and grabbed her hand without thinking. She didn’t pull away.

“You got me scared for a moment there,” he admitted, his thumb unconsciously caressing her skin. “But obviously you’re okay now since you’re making fun of me again.”

“And here I thought you’d be happier without an overbearing co-pilot,” she muttered, one eyebrow raised. She challenged him to reply with a pointed look, and was surprised when he just gave another sigh and brought his other hand to cover hers.

“I’d rather be with an overbearing co-pilot than with no one at all,” he said, refusing to look up at her and focusing instead on their hands.

Silence then stretched on for a few minutes, broken occasionally by the beeping of the various monitors in the room and the announcements through the intercom. Finally, Diaval broke their reverie.

“Don’t ever pull that stunt again,” he scolded, his grip on her hand tightening. Mallory smirked and managed to reach over with her other hand to give him a smack on the side of his head, needles and wired be damned.

“What was that for?!”

“Silly bird,” she said, “We look out for each other. We’re a team, remember?”

He smiled at her, not missing that she used his own words against him. “Right,” he agreed lamely, “but as soon as you get out of that bed I’m gonna kick your ass during training. You aggravate me too much, woman.”

Mallory laughed and squeezed his hand, her golden green eyes locking into his dark inky ones. “Just you try, Sable.”

**Author's Note:**

> From my author's notes in the original tumblr posting:
> 
> Yep, their Jaeger is called the Icarus and it has wings! (Like a gundam lol)
> 
> Also Mal was flying it on her own for a while (making her a very very formidable pilot) but the higher ups decided to give her a partner since she tends to be…reckless. So Diaval was brought into the mix, and here we are.
> 
> Also: uploading this with all my other fics that i forgot to upload lol


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